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Thursday, October 25, 2012

BAMBOOZLING OBAMA

Since his first day in office, President Barack Obama has been a patsy for the after-effects of a Bush Administration who pillaged the economy of the United States in less than a decade since the Clinton Era surplus. Just weeks before taking office, a fever pitch of patriotism surrounded this man who gave a new voice to the working class. Finally a candidate wanted to see Americans have access to Heath Care without a crippling financial burden. Finally a candidate wasn't afraid to talk about Green Energy. Finally a candidate asked Wall Street why they aren't taking responsibility and helping out. Much of the heightened support for these ideas wore down quickly as families sought relief from being left with the tab for two wars. Meanwhile the rich are running a muck on Wall Street by privatizing profits and socializing losses to the tax payer. The blame game began with buckets of mud and slop being flung from the same far-side of the isle, fertilizing a bed of dissent taking advantage of post-9/11 fears. The questions and accusations seeded during the election campaign took root and thrived in the muck. Is Obama a Socialist? Is Obama a Muslim? Is Obama a Communist? Is Obama the Antichrist? Is Obama a Terrorist?

"Bamboozling Obama" inks on paper / 2012

The Far Right of this country have polarized and distorted our political system in a fast food age of headlines and sound bytes. The Left have been drawn to the Middle for the most part in an attempt to move us forward to a new age of logical policy on what should be common-sense issues. The problem is many of the elected officials of the Republican Party are not there to represent their constituents but rather to disrupt progress. Wall Street will do everything in their power to keep obscene wealth privatized and many companies won't go out of their way to create jobs for a President wanting them to pay their fair share. In the new Citizens United age, candidates are sponsored, bought and paid for with special interests.

How can a political group take an affront on Green Energy Policies which create sustainability and put America at the forefront of an alternative energy revolution? Because they make obscene profits from the last century's energy sources which have created Global Warming and Polluted our drinking water.

How can one side of the isle deny the GLBT community basic civil rights? Because the majority of their voters are polarized by religious-based dogma.

How can Republicans not want Americans to have access to Health Care which ensures their financial stability in a time of medical crisis? Because they have invested interests in insurance and medical practices which base your level of care on your credit score.

What does the far right have to say about a man who wants to make these things happen and advance our society by creating a better, healthier, more stable life for the Middle Class? A Socialist, a Muslim, a Communist, an Antichrist, a Marxist and a Nazi.

In our brave new world, many weapons are being used to wage war 24 hours a day / 7 days a week against the President. The Right endlessly attempts to niggardize Obama through indoctrination. In the court of law, a reasonable doubt can set a man free. In the court of public opinion, a reasonable doubt can bury a man. For one voter, it's the monkey cartoon indulging his bias. For another voter, it's FOX News keeping them company at night with balanced coverage of political issues (such as questioning the American President's citizenship.) For another, it's the pulpit on Sunday morning where words like terrorist and brimstone are used in the same sentences. It takes a village of many hands to paint the President's Blackface. We live in a society where Fear is power and those powers are at play.

In 2008, America showed the world is was progressive enough to select its first black President. The entire planet embraced Barack Obama and still support him. In a recent survey, every foreign country polled (except Pakistan) favored Obama to his running mate if they were allowed to vote. Here at home, rhetoric has cast an ever-bending shadow of doubt. Rhetoric has revived racism and brought the bigotry of yesteryear full circle. Republican officials have thrown bipartisanship out of the window, kept unemployment rates high, denied military veterans benefits, fought tooth and nail to oppose healthcare reform and yelled "class warfare" at any mention of rolling back tax rates on the rich to the Clinton-era levels which balanced our national budget. ALL of this has been done as a ruse to create the mirage of a failed Presidency for Obama. Real math undeniably shows despite all odds, the country is healing and headed toward recovery.

It is time to move FORWARD. It is time for equal rights for ALL Americans. It is time to provide healthcare to ALL Americans. It is time to create sustainable, stable and affordable energy sources. It is time to hold Wall Street accountable for gutting the Middle Class. It is time for us to place doubt aside and ALLOW Obama to do his job and create a better America. -B

You could tax every rich man at 100% and it wouldn't even make a large dent in our debt.

Government spending must be curtailed. We must have less bureaucrats. it's math.

We're against Obama because he thinks a new Govt department or agency is the solution to most problems. He talks about more education spending while never mentioning that we already are #2 in the world in education spending per capita, so spending isn't the issue, efficiency is the issue.

Obama talks about taxing the 250k tax bracket more, and insinuates that it's rich people sitting on money they don't need. He never mentions that most small businesses pay in the individual tax brackets, does he?

If he were an honest man, he would tell the people that raising the 250k tax bracket would affect businesses. He doesn't, he talks about Warren Buffett instead.

We're against Obama because we're against Corporate Statism. I could care less about his race. I don't want Biden either.

This is the same tired argument which has been pushed the entire campaign by the rich sect backing Romney. "Taxing us wouldn't make a dent. Cut government spending." Taxing Wall St companies AND taxing the rich proportionately would put us on the road to recovery- plain and simple. What you've stated is pure nonsense.

Wow, what a LOSER you are! Obama is a petty, petulant PUNK. He's the moral equivalent of an oil slick; dark, slippery, yet shallow. You Obamabots are our indigenous mentally ill class. You aren't satisfied that he's been a clusterf*ck for 4 years; you want him to FINISH THE JOB and finish our nation. And then will "artists" like you be? Hopefully subjected to the Taliban and dispatched with promptly. You're on their side. You can squeal like a pig before they decapitate you.

Wow Paul, maybe you need to read my article, Living in a Society of Fear. Yes, I would like to see Obama have 4 more years to FINISH THE JOB of Promoting Green Energy Initiatives, Protecting GLBT and Women's Rights and Providing ALL Americans with Healthcare! YES WE CAN!

Big Paul is obviously the informant on losers... so, it's like a compliment. I like that Obamabots... it's funny someone saying you are a sheep while they are regurgitating bullshit they heard from fox news. I guess he uses oilslick because he doesn't have the balls to say what he's really trying to imply. Bush is the only one with Taliban ties... google it, biggy paul paul! HAHA!!

I'm gay. I'm a Republican. I'd rather have an economy and more balanced budget than 'gay marriage'. What use is being married in a society that's crumbling apart? No thanks.

Government healthcare is a disaster. Take a look at these NHS Stats:

1) Labor government nationalized their system in 1948; the system then had 480,000 hospital beds serviced by 350,000 staff; 2) In 2002 their system had 186,000 hospital beds serviced by 882,000 staff; 3) In 2008 their system had 160,000 hospital beds serviced by 1,368,000 staff.

Patients having major surgery in NHS hospitals face a much higher risk of dying than those in America, research has revealed. Doctors found that people who have treatment here are four times more likely to die than US citizens undergoing similar operations. The most seriously ill NHS patients were seven times more likely to die than their American counterparts. Experts blame the British fatality figures on a shortage of specialists and lack of intensive care beds for post-operative recovery. They also suggest that long waiting lists mean diseases are more advanced before they are treated. Researchers from University College London and Columbia University, in New York, studied 1,000 surgery patients at the Mount Sinai Hospital, Manhattan, and compared them to nearly 1,100 people who had similar operations at the Queen Alexandra Hospital, in Portsmouth. The results showed that just under ten per cent of British patients died in hospital afterwards compared to 2.5 per cent in America. Among the most seriously ill cases there was a seven-fold difference in the death rates.

It's a very sad state of affairs that 2-3 failed Green Energy companies have been spun by your side of the isle into "failed energy policies." Well over 90% of the companies started under the Obama administration are very successful and helping us move toward energy independence. Politics have distorted the facts of the matter. This is an important success of the current administration.

As to your concerns about quality of care: Indeed it is a good thing we have the best doctors in the world providing us better care. I don't understand your concerns here. It's not like Obamacare is driving our doctors out of the country in a mass exodus. It is imperative to fixing our economy to provide our citizens with a healthcare system which will stop crippling them financially when a medical emergency arises. It's illogical to argue against this (unless you are completely brainwashed.)

Log cabin is Brain washed. The care is the way it is because the money. Obama care plans to stop that. Research health care in Iowa and find contradictions to your weak argument. You're gonna have to prove your gay. Pics or it never happened!!!

Great article, now if only the right-winged crazies could read while accurately analyzing information without a massive bias and absolutely no sense of logic or common sense, then perhaps this article would be a lot more valuable! Anyone who thinks Obama will "finish off our nation" if re-elected or that our country is currently a "clusterf*ck" because of his policies just clearly isn't that intelligent.

We have had 0% interest rates for several years, and our economy is not even keeping up with population growth.

We are adding 10 dependents for every job created.

We cannot stay at 0% interest rates forever. When they rise, interest on the debt will consume us.

Yes, this trajectory will finish off our nation.

Take a look at the Excess Reserves of Financial Institutions:

http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/EXCRESNS

See that vertical line? That's printed money that the banks are sitting on. When that money goes into circulation, it causes inflation. Yes, inflation above the 30-50% increase in prices we've seen over the last four years.

The simple fact is, Obama doesn't think our debt is a short term problem, even as we're already at 0% interest rates (Can't lower it any more) and struggling to recover. We are in a very dangerous situation economically.

When our rates are forced to rise, or other countries lose faith in our dollar, it will finish us. If you think we aren't close to the cliff's edge, you aren't paying attention.

We need a businessman with a proven track record of results. In the private sector, you can't lie your way through life. You have to provide results, or you're fired. There's no way Romney could have survived 25 years in the private sector as a pathological liar.

In comparison, Obama has a history of community organizing, a lawyer for Acorn, then winning elections in the state legislature through getting his opponents' divorce records unsealed. He's a Chicago politician, and will do nearly anything for political gain. We don't need the Chicago Thug in the White House any longer. He's all politics, all the time.

When our SEALs were calling for help in Benghazi, Obama's first thought was whether it would hurt his re-election. in 8 hours, no help was sent to our brave men who risked their lives, because Obama didn't want to risk his job.

That's quite a contrast, isn't it? What a coward.

See, some Republicans know their facts. The more you think we're jut stupid racists, the more surprised you're going to be when you get rolled on election day.

We conservatives understand you leftists. You don't understand us. The fact that you think we're motivated by race proves it. I don't know a single conservative motivated by race. Sorry.

1)Romney doesn't have a track record as a good businessman and you certainly do NOT want a businessman in the Oval Office. There has to be balance to the money in our government.

2)You should be ashamed to politicize the tragedy of Benghazi and the fact that Romney took the charge on this "conspiracy theory" before the bodies were even cold proves just hold callous and out of touch he is with what it is to be American.

There's a reason this mf is apologizing. It's bred into him. I'm sure if their mother exercised her choice when bringing them into the world then they wouldn't feel so sorry. :( Blame their mother, I'm sure this jack ass already does. You're welcome! Now go learn the the things your mother would've taught you if she loved and wanted you.

Nobody is trying to get leech off of the rich entitle the poor. All the Obama Administration (and the Middle Class) want is for them to pay the same rate of taxes they do to balance the budget. It worked for Clinton and it WOULD work today. Again, you are crying fowl and misdirecting the sense of entitlement. Corporate Welfare should be your concern, not civic welfare.

I don't understand how "businessman" Romney can say that a small raise in taxes were prevent hiring workers. He must NOT do his own taxes. Wages are deducted from Gross Profits. Adjusted Gross Income is the income after the legitimate business expenses including workers' wages are deducted.

I invite you to check out my "green" oriented blog: gleeaikin.blogspot.com, where I cover economic issues and politics, plus an occasional attempt at the "vision thing."

An excellent read, very informative and on the money! It's about time a lot more blogs like this were seen by the majority of Americans who simply have no idea about their own country, never mind the world; due in part to their digesting radical news sources like Fox, and general ignorance/racism/lack of education.

You are right, if I had the vote in the states, Obama would be the ONLY choice! Better him, than some Photoshop looking wannabe religious extremist like Mitt.

Thanks for the feedback Emma. It's unfortunate that as so many Americans have such tunnel vision with national issues. We're also quarantined off from the rest of the world media-wise and have no clear world-view unless we seek information independently. I'd dare say you have a clearer understanding of a American politics living in Europe than most of my neighbors!

Howdy Ranger... you are correct. The privatization of wealth doesn't make any sense but it is a reality and Romney champions this. As far as the LGBT executions, I'm afraid you're another one of the folks confused about our President's background and ethnicity.

1) Labor government nationalized their system in 1948; the system then had 480,000 hospital beds serviced by 350,000 staff; 2) In 2002 their system had 186,000 hospital beds serviced by 882,000 staff; 3) In 2008 their system had 160,000 hospital beds serviced by 1,368,000 staff.

Patients having major surgery in NHS hospitals face a much higher risk of dying than those in America, research has revealed. Doctors found that people who have treatment here are four times more likely to die than US citizens undergoing similar operations. The most seriously ill NHS patients were seven times more likely to die than their American counterparts. Experts blame the British fatality figures on a shortage of specialists and lack of intensive care beds for post-operative recovery. They also suggest that long waiting lists mean diseases are more advanced before they are treated. Researchers from University College London and Columbia University, in New York, studied 1,000 surgery patients at the Mount Sinai Hospital, Manhattan, and compared them to nearly 1,100 people who had similar operations at the Queen Alexandra Hospital, in Portsmouth. The results showed that just under ten per cent of British patients died in hospital afterwards compared to 2.5 per cent in America. Among the most seriously ill cases there was a seven-fold difference in the death rates.

And yes, the 'Clinton surplus' is a myth.

A) He borrowed money from the Social Security Trust Fund as an accounting gimmick.

George bush took office with a 5.8 trillion dollar National DEBT. He left office with a roughly 10 trillion dollar debt. So it took him 8 years to increase the debt by 4.2 trillion dollars.

Terrible record

Obama took office in 08 with a 10 trillion dollar debt, and by the end of the year we will be at 16.4 trillion debt.

Bush was terrible, but Obama is raising the debt at OVER TWICE THE RATE which is unfathomable.

I guess that what you get when you don't even make an attempt to pass a budget.

Even if you subtract the cost of both ongoing wars(roughly 10% of the debt he has generated), Obama is STILL spending at twice the rate as Bush.

Furthur taxing rich citizens through raising the income tax rate on the highest earners will not do it, there is simply not enough of them.

SO, you're left raising corporate taxes, which in a global economy simply means corporations will simply take their interests overseas.

Also, raising capital gains has always had an inverse effect on tax revenue. Every time the rate is increase, the government has taken in LESS revenue.

Increasing capital gains tax means less investment in stocks, less investment in stocks means less money being pumped into US business...leading to fewer jobs and LOWER tax revenue.

This is not my opinion, this is historically accurate.

If we really want to see more jobs being created in this country, we have to make the fiscal environment inviting to business.

Libs like to use the word "outsourcing" as a mantra, and yet at every turn they strive to protect labor unions (which artificially drive up labor costs) and they also want to increase corporate taxes... which discourages enterprise.

The solution is two-fold MORE JOBS, more people paying taxes means more tax revenue.. and responsible spending (something that will NEVER be done unless we pass a budget).

Literaltarian, Obama has had to make many many tough cuts to the economy including NASA and many other important tax-funded programs. He has spent less and had a smaller budget than the previous presidents. Whether you want to hear it or not, this gross debt is repercussions from 8 years of an out-of-control Bush administration. All Obama has preached for four years is going back to the tax rates of the Clinton years which WORKED and balanced our budget. Corporations and the rich are spending every dime and ounce of energy they have to prevent this. Why are these corporations and the 1% STILL making RECORD profits while the unemployment rate stays the same? It is immoral and we certainly don't need a businessman to continue this "inside job" of pillaging the government. Obama stands up to Wall Street and THAT is the kind of leadership we need. I've said it before- it is the rich who have the sense of entitlement in this country and they need to be put on notice.

"He has spent less and had a smaller budget than the previous presidents."

Sorry, was going to comment on what you said, but I cannot have a debate with someone who believes this.

This is not just inaccurate, it's diametrically opposed to the truth.Obama is spending money and ballooning the Debt at double the pace of Bush. Making him in a class all by himself insofar as spending is concerned.

Bush was a nutcase and a terrible president, I hated his all-over-the map policies, sometimes conservative, sometimes moderate.. and Medicare Part D... he must have been drunk on Liberal juice that day.

Originally posted by: Howdy Ranger... you are correct. The privatization of wealth doesn't make any sense but it is a reality and Romney champions this. As far as the LGBT executions, I'm afraid you're another one of the folks confused about our President's background and ethnicity.

Keep those comments coming illustrating my point about your bigotry folks.*****Wow dude, just wow. No, I am saying that "privatization of profits" is a meaningless term because PROFITS HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH GOVERNMENT, EVER. NOR SHOULD IT. State-owned crap is crap.

Another thing you're confused about, obviously (by virtue of making unwarranted ASSumptions based upon a lack of reading comprehension), is that I never once in my post referenced Obama's ethnicity or background. That is a disease of your mind, not mine, to find that where it doesn't exist.

While Obama was raised Atheist and hung around with Muslims and "converted" to Liberation Theology, none of that is really relevant except to the fact that while growing up in Indonesia, he learned things that led him to believe the steps he needs to take to befriend Muslims around the world are the steps he's taking today. It is of particular note that he shuns his Christian brother, George, while being particularly close to his "favorite uncle" who is steeped in the radicalest of Wahhabist Islam. Now, I don't believe Obama is a Muslim any more than he's a Christian, but the fact remains he thinks he can protect himself and America, regardless of his actual beliefs, by appeasing those on the side of radical Islam.

And there is no bigotry here. I don't understand why people would be unreasonably bigoted. You however, are showing your particular flavor of bigotry loud and clear. Congratulations, you are more closeminded than a Republican right winger.

He's just one of the faggots from DROW, they consider themselves gods of WoW(which is why he says it so much probably), but they really just play second (or fifth) fiddle to guilds with actual talent and skill. Regardless, his argument is not even germane to the topic, and is seated in assumptions and rhetoric, not proof or truth. Not really surprising though.

FAGGOTS!! Can't talk about germane if you are throwing fag around... you a pathetic and you know it... that's why you are here!! WELCOME, FRIEND!! If ANY ONE would claim you!! It's only us!! WELCOME!! HOMO!!

HAHAHAHAHA OH GOD. Typical (LSD laced so as to give you Alternate Reality?) koolaid drinkers, the lot of you. No I didn't watch any conspiracy movies; we do not have those here. Glaringly obvious you have NOTHING because you don't have an answer. I refute all your points and all you have in return is irrelevancies. Just like your President! Seriously, what is in the water where you live? Acid? All you have is personal attacks, which, since you clearly all never took Logic 101, is a logical fallacy in an argument. Nice try.

You guys are more single-issue (rather, a couple of single issues) retarded than people that are single-issue over abortion.

I'm sorry Brandt but you fail the economy forever. Clinton is responsible for the mess you found yourselves in. Clinton and Dodd and Frank, with the creation of Fanny Mae and Freddy Mack. Forcing banks to loan to those who had no way in hell of paying it back. This is known as "compassion". Then they sold those toxic loans around and abroad, and there you have your problem. Your golden boy, BO, even helped litigate Citibank to force them to make what eventually turned out to be toxic loans. This wasn't profiteering! No bank in their right mind would loan to someone who has no job and no assets and no hope of repayment in a gazillion years.

And no, Anonymous number three since my last post, I have proof and truth. You guys are just too blinded with white guilt and ignorance of what is really the problem to see it. Denial. It's not just a river in Egypt anymore.

WHITE GUILT?! Not everyone is as white as you down here!! I am not as white as thou thinkest I am!!! RESEARCH NOOB!! OH BUT YOU CAN'T!! I LOVE MAKING THIS PERSONAL!!! You wouldn't be able to say white guilt in my hood without being robbed or worse, but you would totally DIG THAT!! At least you can blame drugs on my reasons... you are just a TOOL!! BAH BAH!! You just crave some dark dick.. My daddy could give it to you if he was into lame hoes.. like you.

You are the authority on faggots.. APPARENTLY keep it coming!! REFERENCE dick sucking 101... you should!! I BET THERE ARE TONS THAT AGREE!!! HAHAHA!! not only are you pathetic veritably, but metaphorically in the bedroom!! YESSS!!!! WOOT WOOT!! OH and all the "fag as" games you play are totally communist... so GOOD FUCKING LUCK, you poser!

PLAY YOUR GAMES!! YOU REALLY NEED THEM, NOOB!!! I don't play little girl games!! LOL LOL!! You just make that shit public on your wack ass blog profile that NO ONE cares about!! KEEP COMMENTING!! YOU MAKE Brandt MORE IMPORTANT than you!! OH, but you KNEW THAT!! THAT'S the ONLY reason you are HERE!! HAHAHAAHAHAHAHAH!! Bitch, you should make more private because there is MUCH more to TELL!! :D LET'S GO!!!

Brandt – You are sadly misguided by the mainstream media stuffing left wing propaganda into your confused head. People have a right to question the citizenship of the commander and chief as it has never been proven in a satisfactory manner. What you have to look at is the character of the men that we are dealing with here and the moral compass that guides them or in Obama’s case the lack there of, look at the big picture and what they believe for themselves, their families, and for the country and if you can honestly say the Obama has the best interest of the people and the country at heart than there is no help for you. Rich people do not control the flow of wealth in this country, that is where you folks really go off track, for someone to have wealth it does not mean that they take from someone else or that there is any less for the next guy. We live in the greatest land of opportunity where everyone has just as much chance to succeed as the next guy, wealth is like an ocean free to everyone who works hard for it and it is an endless supply. If you take everything from someone who created their OWN wealth they would have it all back in a year do to the knowledge they have but if you gave what you took from him to someone with a poor mindset they would be once again poor in a year. I am a high school dropout that struggled with drugs and alcohol and now I own a very successful business that would classify me in the group who gets demonized. I worked hard for everything that I have and have never had a hand out or a hand up.

Dan, everything you said really is a case of the pot and the kettle. Obviously you are indoctrinated by the Conservative belief that the rich are there to help you and be the job creators. I'm here to tell you Obama certainly has the Middle Class's best interests at heart FAR more than a pariah like Romney.

Your game of choice is liberal as they come! You are a poser! If you lived in the south then you could talk, but all you are is some pathetic puppet!!! Play your games fool!! The conservo's would never claim you!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA!!!!

Oh and DAN you ARE MISGUIDED!! You are more mallato and Muslim than our president!! You are LUCKY to have you stance... you like the other Yankee wouldn't stand a chance in our southern would... so blah blah blah.. you are a sheep, nothing more... so bah bah bah!!

Melanie, I hope you do not kiss your mother with that mouth, I will pray that God will clear your mind and transform your heart. God extends his grace to everyone and there is redemption for all through the blood of Jesus that was shed on the cross for all of us sinners. I do not know how much money that you have or make but it does not matter because I do know that you are poor for no other reason than the poor mindset that you have. You will never truly succeed in life until transform your way of thinking and your open your heart and mind to a better way of viewing life.

FYI...I am from PA but I have lived in Texas for the past 17 years and this is where I have developed into who I am today and what I believe. I am a conservative, Christian, business man and I want you to know that I want everyone to have the same opportunities to succeed that I have and I want everyone to succeed and that is why I am so passionate about extending my message. I want this great country to stand when my four sons are old enough to take advantage of all the wonderful opportunities that it provides.

I can appreciate your point of view Dan and I hope you still have a President like Obama next week to see your sons through to a brighter future where the Middle Class is strong. Obama has just got us back on our feet. Don't let Romney break us for the sake of Big Business and the Rich in this country.

I think that you are missing my point completely. I am the rich in this country, not because of the government, or luck, or a hand out, or bailout but through my own blood sweat and tears that I poured into my business. I was able to achieve this level of success even with the challenges that I faced as a dropout with a drug and alcohol addiction. All I want is for everyone to have this same chance to succeed that I have had. Obama wants to take more into the government to pass it out as they see fit and I promise you that is not the American way or what has made us the greatest nation in the history of the world. Giving people the freedom to choose what they want to do with their life and the opportunity to be able to make that happen is what has made us great and what we do with that opportunity is up to each of us as individuals. To say that this other guy deserves to have some of what I have worked hard for because he chose not to is what brings countries to their knees, just look at Greece, Europe, or any of many examples, Places like China and India are only starting to see some success for themselves because they are adopting capitalism and free market enterprise. This is making them a better place to live and our turning away from that is bringing us what we see today in debt, and deficit, and unemployment, and entitlements that are crippling us. I am all for taking care of the orphans and widows, and handicap, and those just down on their luck in the same way that we did in the past through the church and the generosity of business men like myself. I will give freely to anyone in need but if you try to take from me to give to another then you will have a fight on your hands. The entitlement mentality is the poor mindset that I am talking about, believing that you deserve to have something that someone else has even if you have not worked for it, that is what is killing us. When taking care of "needs" becomes government work then you end up with the problem that we see today in a large group of people that choose to not take care of themselves. This is bringing back slavery of a whole different kind, this is enslaving people through a poor mindset that will never see them succeed. If we instead of give people things they think they deserve, we show them how to go and get it for themselves we will eliminate this poor mindset and also help people restore pride in themselves. If we give someone a fish we can feed them for a day but if we teach them how to fish we can feed them for a lifetime. Our school systems start this education of the poor mindset at an early age, but if they taught kids about the opportunities that they have and how to take advantage of them like they do in privately owned and ran schools than we would be better off. I have gone far away from my original thought but I will tell you that Romney wants what I want, the opportunity for everyone to achieve success at whatever level they are capable of and the freedom and safety to do so.

Daniel, again I can appreciate your point of view and assure you that nobody is throwing rocks at you because you're rich. You worked hard to build your company- this is the American spirit. I'm certain your business pays taxes, does it not? Do you think your business should pay more taxes than a Fortune 500 company on corporate welfare? Do you think you yourself should pay a lower tax rate than me because you make more money?

The entrepreneurial spirit helped to build this country and make it great. EVERYONE paying in to the government helped to make it great as well. You do realize that in the WWII era, the top 1% paid closer to 80% in taxes, which is HOW we funded defeating Hitler. The middle class couldn't have carried such a financial burden alone but somehow the upper class and Wall St believe we can fun multiple Middle Eastern wars.

Nobody will have the chances you had Daniel unless we divert the distribution of some of the wealth funneling to the top. Again, you have things bass-ackwards on something- the sense of entitled which the rich keep screaming and moaning about they have incorrectly assigned to the poor. The poor don't feel entitled, it's the rich who feel entitled. What does it take to bring you back to reality and realize harboring money, creating tax loopholes and creating a corporate welfare environment on Wall Street is wrecking your own consumer base and work-force. If the middle class goes extinct, YOU have NO customer.

Of our 300+ million citizens, only 120 million pay any federal income taxes.

I'm gonna go back to 2007 before the financial meltdown (as current numbers are much lower and unrepresentative of a healthy economy).

In 2007, the top 1% of taxpayers is 1.2 million people, who earn on average 1.87 million dollars apiece.

They earn two trillion two hundred forty-four billion dollars a year, and they pay on average 28% federal tax, or 628 billion dollars a year.

If you could increase their taxes in a vacuum .. lets say double them to an effective FEDERAL tax rate of 56% when you add in property and state taxes, this would leave most paying between 70 and 80% of their gross income to tax.We're still about a half trillion dollars short of covering the current deficit...even after subtracting the 100 billion a year we're spending on war (1.3 trillion since 2001).

Are you gonna make up that extra half-trillion by raising corporate rates further? All you will do is decrease the number of jobs.

Fact is,this is not a vacuum, this is the real world. You can't double taxes on the wealthy without seeing an almost incalculable amount of wealth leave our economy(Yes even our fearless leader, your messiah, has offshore bank accounts and foreign holdings). Even if you could ,as you can see, the numbers just don't add up.

Class warfare is just a strategy to distract those who don't pay much attention to things. It's a awesome thing to talk about as your passing around the blount, but it will not have a positive effect on our economy.

Of course, no amount of taxes will fix the problem instantly. However (for the hundredth time) if you roll back to the Clinton Era rates, it would put us on the road to recovery. This doesn't happen overnight or even in 4 years but it will with time. Many of our problems in a fast food nation and economy is the want for instant results.

Class Warfare is another notion being misdirected by Wall Street and the 1%. True Class Warfare takes place on Main Street America where the Middle Class is fighting its way past being endangered. If a pariah like Romney takes office, we'll be fighting extinction paying for all the things the RICH feel so entitled not to (like not helping out their communities by paying taxes.)

I am considered middle class - I want a business person in the White House. We cannot continue to support most of the world financially. We cannot allow illegal immigrants to suck our programs dry. I voted for Romney and I am a proud American woman! Thanks to all US military service members past and present who guarantee our freedom.

I didn't vote for Obama, and not because he's black either. I didn't vote for him because of his policies including Obamacare. I am basically retired and I pay for my own health care, but if I didn't want to I should be able not to do so. I am also pro military and Obama hasn't shown to be a true supporter of our men and women in uniform. Most people don't know that when Obama wants cuts to the military budget, it doesn't affect personal and equipment right away. It affects programs that support military families, and that's where we need to keep going. Our military families need our support and help. No I didn't vote for Obama, OH and when I lived in Kenya in 2011 every single Kenyan I met said that Barack Obama is KENYAN!!! Makes me wonder. Even when I insisted that a president of the U.S. can't be a member of another country, they still insisted that he was Kenyan. Funny I thought, but then again his father was Kenyan, so I'm sure that is what the Kenyans were referring too. At least I sure hope it was.

It seems most folks who don't support Obamacare such as yourself are in a fortunate enough position to be able to afford insurance. Such a human rights issue has to be looked at in a broader scope beyond your own home.

Cutting the military budget is not only necessary, it is long over-due. The United States spend more money on military than the entire world combined while children are provided substandard education and citizens go bankrupt aspiring for secondary education afterward. Obama has championed programs time and time again to provide health care and job placement for veterans. It is the Republican House which has blocked these bills.

I'm thrilled to hear you are also fortunate enough to do some globe trotting. I'll never mind having a President directly descending from immigrants- I feel it gives him a better world-view and perspective.

You are an idiot! You think the problem is about race. Wake up and listen to someone else with a different view of things. Democrats are such the cheerleader for Obama. What has he done for this country? Divide, pillage, and apologize this country. When he spends all of our $ and everything that was America is gone...I hope your ready for a VERY different world. And I promise you IN that world it won't matter what color your skin is. Maybe that's what your going for stupid!

Oblivious Anonymous- Racism and Fear drive the division in our country. It's a different world alright where the unwarranted mania produced by "Conservatism" causes petitions to secede from the United States. Talk about a Red Scare!

It doesn't look much like Obama. Obama is not cheeky and his chin blends seamlessly with the lines of his rather hollow-looking cheeks. Obama has very dark, smaller eyes (not big, lighter-brown eyes.) Obama's lips are not red at all normally - they are almost the same color as his skin tone.

I agree that yes, you must be at least brainwashed. If you are taking psychedelics for your artwork, I hope you realize that trying to become one with the universe and love everyone is a natural side effect. There is a reason all those communes in the 1960s didn't last very long.

I would have voted for Herman Cain if he hadn't been painted as a sexual predator. I don't even consider Obama to be black since he looks more Arabic or Mediterranean.

Now that the election is over with, we are seeing how businesses are reacting.

Since businesses with over 50 employees only have to provide health care for their full time workers, the majority of businesses who do not already provide health care benefits are cutting back their full time employees to no more than 28 hours a week.

What does this mean? Over 6 million employees will not have health care, and they will be forced to either get their own private policy or pay an additional $1200 in taxes for not having insurance.

Keep in mind the 6 million figure made the assumption employers wouldn't do everything they could to maintain their bottom line by reducing people from full time to part time status, which is most definitely happening.

Thank you Obama and the Democrats who pushed Obamacare through Congress. More than likely, you've forced over 30-50 million Americans out of full time positions. These citizens will now have to work 2-3 jobs just to get 40+ hours a week and will lose out on overtime pay. In addition, their tax burden will increase by $2085 per household by 2016, when the Affordable Care Act is fully implemented.

This law doesn't do anything to improve the healthcare situation for millions of Americans, and penalizes them to add insult to injury.

This is an example of just how far the guys at the top will go to keep profits as high as possible and employee benefits as low as possible. It's the loophole they've found to avoid providing employees with benefits just like they always have. Mammoth corporations like Papa Johns should be ashamed to be behaving in such a manner given the obscene profit margin on their product. It is sad and sickening how Big Money have adopted this as a means of securing record profits year after year. I don't blame Obamacare for this, I blame the desperate greed induced by Capitalism where it's NEVER ENOUGH to make the same profits and success is only defined by MORE MORE MORE.

I posted the above, and I'm replying to your comments here, since you specifically mentioned Papa John's.

As a former restaurant general manager for over 10 years, I feel this needs to be said, because I understand the financial realities better than those who never worked in the industry.

I worked for Pizza Hut and had great success, including taking one store from $500,000 in sales to over $1,000,000 in under 3 years.

With that being said, how much profit do you think the owner of the franchise made each year? He made anywhere from 3%-8% per restaurant, and he owned 45 Pizza Huts.

His stores averaged $750k in sales, and we can guess he made ~$1.68 million a year, split between him, his son, and another co-owner.

If I had been forced to pay $5000 per employee for healthcare (my wife's Fortune 500 company pays $10,000 for our coverage), it would have cost my restaurant about $175,000 a year. (35 employees X 5000)

My best year was $1.25 million, and with an 8% profit (it was somewhere around 7.8%), the owner made ~$100,000. Do the math, and you'll see he would have lost $75,000 from my restaurant alone if nothing changed (employee hours not reduced to 28 or less) because he owned 45 Pizza Huts and he employed over 1500 individuals, with more than 30 employees working full time hours.

He would have no choice but to cut his employees' hours or go broke. That's the choice the Affordable Care Act gives him.

The reality is he's forced into doing this, and it has nothing to do with greed, but rather survival.

The mammoth corporations that cut jobs just to boost profit margins have already moved their headquarters overseas.

Think about it...

And, sure, any business is going to do what it needs to do to make a profit, or it's going to go bankrupt and close down.

You can blame the businesses for doing whatever it takes to make a profit and not go bankrupt, but if the results of Obamacare are reduced employee hours and increased financial burdens on employees, why pass it in the first place?

It's passed in the first place to ensure that your employees don't go bankrupt and get their wages garnished for getting sick. We're the ONLY country on the PLANET which allows such practices to take place. It is a flawed system and Obamacare is a step in the right direction.

It is passed like all laws by the 1%. The 1% are sick and tired (no pun) of paying for the lower class healthcare. So they need to sign up the vanishing middle class to pay it off. Hey they want to keep their 1% not turn it into 2% or 5%. So the cost of health care they pay needs to be thwarted back to the almost poor American's, like business owners that barely get by. I thought this was obvious?

The Supreme Court said it. They did not want to say it but they were asked so they said it. And they knew it would go over American's heads, so no big deal. What did they say?? Obama care is a "TAX". That is all it is. Most have no idea what a tax is unless you tell them "hey, this is a tax". But alas it is a tax. And guess what?? The 1% don't pay taxes. Nor do the poorest. Who pays? The people that used to be a middle class and are being pushed into the barn of the poor. So obvious but we are so dumb as Americans we are really too dumb to know we are dumb. CNN tells us we are not dumb even as they dumb us down. That includes artists. Or maybe you can refute the Supreme Court calling it a tax? Or maybe you can tell me the 1% pay taxes? I'll wait if you need to do some research.

I have no problem with it being called a tax. We already pay Medicare out of our taxes- this is a similar concept and hopefully will pave the way to Universal Healthcare. While flawed, it is better than we have and a HUGE step in the right direction. Obamacare protects the consumer from predatory insurance practices (which deny millions of Americans coverage on pre-existing conditions which makes more of the 1% rich.)

it's not called a tax. it IS a tax. no taxation without representation is the building block of this country and gave us prosperity throughout the industrial revolution. the systems is broken at the wheels NOT the handlebar. Obamacare is a pad on the handlebars that simply creates more government involvement (control) into people's lives. the government no longer works (as it was designed) for the People. the people, namely vanishing middle class, work for government. this is a tax NOT BY THE GOVERNMENT but by the RICH OLIGARCHY set up to run Government. it is a rogue government of the ultra wealthy. you will be forced into false vaccinations and any other treatment the government wants to shove down your throat. all in the name of handouts. Obama is just an extension of Bush. he is cleanup crew for the chaos and fear GW set in motion. the banks control the strings. this is all really obvious. as an artist it is easy for you to have a "bleeding heart" and let your emotions agree with what is a deceitful program to help the poor. once the poor are helped (on the backs of the middle class) then the middle class goes away and we are left with fascism. Or socialism or communism. all three are really the same. different styles of bank run banana republic.

If a business doesn't turn a profit, the employees are going to lose their jobs and be forced to find new ones.

You really think losing 12 hours a week and paying $1200-2800 more a year in taxes is a step in the right direction for those people who are working at businesses which don't currently provide healthcare?

Brandt, you use "paint a black face" and "bamboozle" an awful lot. I don't think your a very open minded or intelligent person. You seem to be misinformed on a lot and also willingly ignorant to some facts just to make someone else look bad.

I have to disagree with you here. Obama has tried time and time again to champion the things which matter to the American people including overhauling the tax code to hold corporations accountable as well as develop clean energy. Bush did nothing but serve as a puppet to push the most extreme and conservative agenda our country has ever seen. The entire administration was (and still is) guilty of war crimes.

Let's remove the personality so we can see the truth. The government never, never and never offers you anything without wanting more than they offer. Social Security is a gift legally written therefore it cannot be held accountable if not paid out, once contributions are made. Try paying into a private insurance and having them suddenly end payouts. That would be a crime... unless it is set up as a gift. So in like fashion Obamacare is nothing but a trap to take from the People. Sure, they can't just tell the people they want to take. They need to give a trifle first. And then the books are opened on all private information, tax information, wealth information, etc. Not to mention how they manipulate the medicines and "care" they doll out for "free". American's are naive. We always have been. So it's not that strange when a stranger runs for office on "hope" and "change" that people line up to trust him. Brandt, you took the time to search out facts on science under the 9/11 affair. Have you never sought out Obama's religious, educational and natural birth facts? I am not sure if you support this man or not. And I don't care. But if you do support him I'm curious to know why you would? He dresses in a suit to present ideas that come from the FEDERAL RESERVE. Once all the money is printed and loses intrinsic value the FED is going to need your DNA. What better way to get it then to offer you free health insurance. But American's being what they are.. naive... it's kind of game over. The rest of the debate by Romney and Obama and Republicans was just Kabuki. FED owns both parties so nothing is spewed until they're told to spew. But let me tell you how i really feel....

I'll be honest in the fact that Obama has had me walking the thin line between love and hate for five years now. There are certain things he has no control over such as the Federal Reserve, albeit a flawed system to begin with. Yes, our government is set up dollar by dollar to be in a debt it cannot repay- such is the woe of capitalism.

As far as researching Obama, I don't care where his father is from and being a Truther and Birther are two totally different things. I can only go with what he is trying to do and many of the things he's trying to do are to help Americans. With all due respect, you should research the real facts behind the Affordable Healthcare Act yourself before making assumptions about medicine being doled out. I only wish we could see more of his ideas utilized if it weren't for the Tea Partiers strapping themselves to the tracks to stall the show.

"you don't care" is the same rhetoric the anti-truthers use on you for the 9/11 scam. a scam is a scam. you seem to like to pick and choose yours. It doesn't take much research to find answers. it takes an ostrich years. and you know what? i did do a bit of research on affordable care. one of the stipulations? all businesses must report all sales transactions of $600 or more. that is purely going to insert the government into the last remnants of private wealth. e.g. a dealer of precious metals does not have to report anything below $10,000 transactions allowing people to buy and sell gold at or below that level in privacy. you remember privacy right? WELL, Obamacare takes care of that. and who is surprised?? did you really think he is doing this to give you a handout? fools do. but truth says he comes from banker friends. you know, the too big too fail that isn't failing or going to jail. yeah, he is their buddy and they got him in office. well in his Affordable care act we find that all gold and silver and precious wealth now must be reported to governemtn. so their goes the last of that privacy of having wealth. unless you want to keep using US dollars until the chinese cash them in and want the real wealth of this country. you are an artist and i like your art. but you think with your emotions first. you pick and choose truth as if it were a color on your palette. liars are liars.